1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved spinnaker which is lighter than air and designed to float ahead of the boat and to retain its shape when subject to wind variations.
2. The Prior Art
In sailing a sailboat with the wind behind, it is often desirable to use a spinnaker. Various spinnaker designs have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,174,453; 3,720,180; 3,356,059 and 3,851,612. A spinnaker is a large light weight sail which is deployed in front of the jib and the mainsail. It helps to capture the wind and propel the boat forward in the water. Although helpful, these large sails present numerous problems to the sailor. A spinnaker is normally attached directly to the mast of the sailboat and requires both a boom and guy. Because of the need for a boom, the size of the spinnaker is usually limited. When the wind dies, a conventional spinnaker is likely to collapse and in doing so, its large size makes it awkward to handle. Because of its large size and light weight it is relatively fragile and if hit by a sudden gust of wind it may rip and shred under the sudden tension. In rough sea a conventional spinnaker often loses the air it has captured and collapses because of the constant rocking of the boat in heavy waves.
The spinnaker described in this application overcomes many of the disadvantages found in using conventional spinnakers.